The modern clothing industry has been the result of the shift from tailored clothes to ready-made apparel. This change has affected everything, including the design, production, marketing and sales. The modern clothing industry has also paved the way for different labels and brands, designers, magazines, and clothing stores. Let’s look at how the clothing industry has changed over the years by looking at the most recent developments.
Clothing Brands and Labels
As ready-made clothes grew in popularity, companies looked for ways to make their designs distinct. One way to do this is to create distinct brands, which quickly found favour amongst consumers. These brands helped to differentiate between varying levels of quality and price, and help to create feelings of belonging amongst their customers. Fashion designers made their own clothing lines and continued to become industry icons, promoting and selling them to boutiques and department stores. One of these brands is Yves Saint Laurent, which was established in 1961 and is still offering luxury apparel. Saint Laurent in Australia on ParlourX showcases their line, including clothing and accessories.
The Industrial Revolution and Fast Fashion
Before the 1800s, people used to shop for clothes occasionally—when they outgrew their clothes or when seasons changed. But the industrial revolution introduced machines that enabled faster production of clothes. As a result, clothes became cheaper and trend cycles moved faster, and shopping became a hobby.
By year 2000, affordable fashion reached its peak. With the advent of online shopping, fast fashion retailers ruled the fashion and clothing industry. These brands got design elements and looks from designer fashion houses and manufactured them cheaply and quickly. With the ability to shop anytime and anywhere for trendy clothes, it’s no surprise that consumers quickly took advantage. It allowed everyone to afford to wear clothes like their favorite celebrity.
Dress Hiring: Going Minimal on Clothes
Alongside the pressure to look good in this digital age, people don’t wear clothes out of necessity. They also wear it to maintain or to prove their social status. Today, clothing brands don’t just design dresses for function; they create designs that are eye-catching, different, and expensive-looking. Millennials are always looking for ways to look “Instagrammable.”
But it’s undeniable that this kind of lifestyle can be extravagant, not to mention space-busting. So, a solution was created, which came in the form of dress hiring or dress renting. Today, you don’t have to break the bank to wear a designer dress for a special occasion. For instance, Zimmermann from The Volte has several designs to suit any event.
Dress hiring is a more practical solution for people who want to keep up with the latest fashion trends. It can also be beneficial for the environment by avoiding additional waste due to unused clothing that could easily find its way into dumpsites. Instead of discarding a dress you’ve worn just once or twice, owners can have them rented. People who rent dresses also save on closet space.
3D Printing: What’s Next for the Clothing Industry
While today’s clothes come with the trendiest prints, the future is even more interesting. It’s believed that in the future, you will be able to survive with just one thing: a 3D printer. Although this technology hasn’t changed the clothing industry yet, it may not be too far away. 3D printing may not just mean printing clothes but also jewelry, shoes, or bags.
Although you won’t be seeing 3D printed clothes in department stores yet, this technology has already surprised runway shows and demonstrates a great potential for more developments. Today’s 3D printing technology can produce jewelry and shoe soles, but it’s still difficult to print flowy garments. Most of today’s printed clothes are made using mesh systems, which are printed individually and later assembled, making them expensive.
If 3D printing becomes sustainable and practical for the average consumer, people will be able to easily share and print designs. 3D printing will also have benefits as the carbon footprint of clothing production can significantly drop due to reduced shipping distances, and because the production process will use less materials and less energy. Designers can easily spread their creations around the world in a matter of minutes.
Final Thoughts
The clothing industry has changed tremendously. Whilst clothing in the past was entirely produced as a necessity, the development of manufacturing techniques helped to create a fashion industry that also sold clothes based on trends and the desire to demonstrate a person’s status. This has created problems though, the fashion fast industry that sprung up thanks to the internet has had negative effects on the environment. Sustainable clothing products, and new technology will help to improve this situation.
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